


there's love behind those zero phone calls

by maddylime



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Mike Wheeler, Confused Mike Wheeler, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Gay Will Byers, M/M, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Sad Will Byers, Will Byers Loves Mike Wheeler, eleven is supportive :), mike is confused about his feelings because he always is in my fanfictions, takes place after season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-11-25 15:22:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20914289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddylime/pseuds/maddylime
Summary: every day mike called.but never for will.he should have just called him.orwill likes mike. mike likes will. but neither of them know what the heck to do about it.





	1. Will's feelings

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be a small fanfiction but it's actually gonna be 4 chapters .

When Will left Hawkins, he missed Mike the most.

He knew it was unfair to think that. He_ should _ miss all of his friends equally. But, it was undeniable that Mike was the one he thought about most, and the one he most longed to be around. 

The phone rang. Will walked over to answer, feeling like he already knew who it was.

Will missed Mike partly because of how close they were. Mike isn't _just_ his friend, Mike is his _ best_ friend. He’s the one Will feels most comfortable with and would tell almost anything to. Will wouldn’t have talked about certain things, like about how he was still affected by the Upside Down and how much the bullying at school really hurt, with anyone other than him. There was no denying that Mike was important to Will. But it was probably unknown by everyone just how important he was to him.

“Hello?” Will started the phone call that he knew would only last seconds.

Will missed Mike mostly because, of course, of his unrequited crush on him. The crush that he knew would never go anywhere but was pointless to try to get over. It was like he was on a rollercoaster that wouldn't stop and as much as, sometimes, he wanted to get off, he liked the feeling. And there _was _no way out. Not unless Mike suddenly became the worst person on earth. And Will still might like him then.

“Oh, hey Will!” Mike greeted, sounding slightly uncomfortable.

Mike was what Will thought of as the perfect person for him. They both shared common interests, and they could hold a conversation for a long time without anything getting boring. Mike always made him smile and he (mostly) always made sure Will knew he cared about him. And they both trusted each other and could rely on one another. But, Will knew that no matter how much he liked Mike, it would never work out.

“Is El there?” Mike asked, awkwardly.

Mike loves El. This was well-known information. And El loved him back. That’s how it was and that’s how it always would be. He secretly hoped their relationship would fizzle out when they moved away, but that was selfish to think about, and it would never happen anyways. They were in love.

Will wondered what it would be like to be in love. Actually, in love. Love where you don’t have to be afraid that the person you love doesn’t love you back.

“Uh, yeah” Will replied, trying to sound happy, though he knew he was having trouble faking it.

He wished that Mike would be as excited to talk to Will as he was with El. But every time he picked up the phone when Mike called, he would be disappointed. He didn’t even know why he got his hopes up in the first place.

“El, Mike’s on the phone!” Will called to her.

Mike is the only one Will has ever had a crush on. This is the only type of romance he’s felt, and he thought it would be better by now. He thought he might be over it, or maybe Mike would feel the same at some point. But it didn't get better. It only got worse. Still, Will loved him, regardless.

“Thanks” El smiled, taking the phone from him.

And no one knew. No one knew how Will felt. No one even knew Will was gay. And based on how things were going, based on El and Mike's relationship, how Mike barely even talked to him anymore, and how people viewed homosexuals, he decided that he would never tell anyone. It would only end in disaster.

He walked back into his room, feeling saddened by the conversation, as he always was. He knew that eventually, he would move on, but he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to. As already mentioned, Mike was the perfect person for him.

But did it even matter?

Mike was going to end up with El, and Will was going to be hopelessly pining for him forever.

Maybe it was meant to be that way.


	2. Mike's feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mike wheeler point of view time get ready because he's here he's probably queer and he's definitely confused

When Will left Hawkins, Mike knew that he would miss Will the most.When Will left Hawkins, Mike knew that he would miss Will the most.

He _should _ miss El more. He knows he should. She loves him. And he loves her, right? That’s just how it was, and how it was supposed to be. They’re practically soulmates at this point.

But he wasn’t as close to her as he was with Will. Sure, they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but Will is his _best _friend. If he needed someone to talk to, Will was always there. Mike could tell him anything and Will wouldn’t make fun of him or invalidate his feelings. And every time they’re together, it’s always fun, Will always_ made _ it fun. Just being around Will made Mike want to smile. He was always so nice, except for when he wasn’t, which was rare and usually it was Mike’s fault anyway. Mike didn’t lie about the fact that being friends with Will was the best thing he ever did. It still was. He’d never love someone the way he loved Will. 

He just wasn’t sure if his love for Will was platonic or not.

Admittedly, he didn’t _always_ think of Will in the most platonic way. He had always thought Will was cute, both appearance-wise and personality-wise. And he always wanted to be closer to him, it was comforting. Sometimes he thought of holding his hand, and sometimes he actually did. On more than one occasion, he wanted to kiss him.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about this. He knew not many people would accept these kinds of feelings, he didn’t even know if his own parents would. And he knew that it would hurt El, which was the last thing he wanted to do. Besides, he didn’t even know what this meant. Perhaps, these thoughts were just meaningless thoughts, and the feelings that he had were meaningless as well.

He wasn’t even sure if he loved El anymore. In the back of his mind, he knew there was a chance he didn't. But he was the one pushing that thought to the back of his mind. El was perfect, why wouldn’t he want her? And that’s not an exaggeration. Sure, no one’s exactly perfect but El with her kindhearted nature despite all she’s been through, El with her selflessness always shine through, it made her perfect to him. And it was easier to love her. Easier than it would be to love Will. But still, their phone calls didn’t have much chemistry and they felt more like friends lately. He didn’t want to bring it up though, he didn’t want to admit that his feelings could be fading away.

Despite how complicated his mind was becoming, he still wanted to call Will. He missed him, no matter if he loved him romantically or not. But no matter what he _wanted_, he never went through with it. He always gave up and asked for El instead. Every time he picked up the phone, nerves would get to him, and he gave up and asked for El instead. Part of him was thinking that it was the right thing to do, as he would just embarrass himself with Will. The other part of him knew he was just afraid of what he felt.

But still, he took a breath and picked up the phone with the intention of calling him.

“Hello?” Will answered.

Every time Will answered, his heart jumped. _“Romantic love”_, he thought. Perhaps, it was. But again, he reminded himself how complicated things would be and decided against the thought.

“Oh, hey Will!” Mike greeted, awkwardly.

What would he say next? What could he say? What if he lets it slip how he feels? They would never be the same again. Their friendship would be ruined. Because he knew that Will would never like him back. He knew it was pointless. He knew he was better off with El. All of these doubtful thoughts hit him like a truck, like they always did. He let some silence go on, debating on what to say next. He knew he’d never forgive himself for making the safe choice instead of choosing what he actually wanted to choose, but he did it anyway. 

“Is El there?” Mike blurted out, giving up in a split-second decision.

He immediately felt bad. He couldn’t believe he didn’t talk to Will again. He was so sure he would this time, but he chickened out. _Again_.

“Uh, yeah” Will replied, timidly.

Mike could sense the disappointment in his voice. He never wanted to hurt Will, he only wanted him to smile. He _loved _to make Will smile. But he tried to convince himself, it was better this way. If Will knew why he never called him, everything would change. One day, he’d gain the courage to talk to him, but today, clearly, wasn’t that day.

The phone was passed to El.

He knew how this would end. He knew how this _should_ end. Mike would end up with El and they would be in an iconic relationship for all of time. He and Will would be no more than best friends. He was certain Will could find someone better than Mike anyways. It was a good plan, but it just left Mike feeling weird. Like it wasn't what he wanted. His mind was a mess, and would probably continue being a mess until these feelings for Will subsided.

But for now, all he could do was try, and possibly fail, to act like everything was normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, thanks for reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
it means a lot :)


	3. 2 months later in El's room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> el has entered the chat

Mike and El were sitting on El’s bed, with the door open 3 inches(It was always that way, in remembrance of Hopper). They were sitting close, but not too close. They had been talking about everything, and how things have been since she moved away. Will was in the other room, and secretly, Mike was avoiding Will, out of fear of both his feelings and how he’d probably embarrass himself because of his feelings.

“We should talk” El suddenly announced.

“About what?” Mike questioned, feeling like he knew where this was going. He knew enough about life to know that this was the cliche way that most break ups started.

“Us” El clarified. His suspicions were confirmed then.

He didn’t feel anything like he should- no sadness, no anger. Just acceptance, in a way. It wasn’t like he was thrilled that this conversation might end in a depart to a relationship that used to be so important to him. But “used to” was the keyword- he just didn’t feel that way anymore.

Over the past few months, he tried to convince himself that everything could get better if he just tried. So he tried. He flirted with El constantly, but doing so felt awkward to him and she didn’t really have any special reaction. It was like romance was just not a part of their romantic relationship. To top it all off, they barely even said “I love you” anymore.

His last resort was seeing her again. He knew if he saw her again, the feelings between them would rekindle, and disregard his feelings for Will. But, as seen by this morning, that wasn’t the case. He took one look at Will when he walked through the door and felt his heart flutter immediately. So, instead of looking at him further, he took El’s hand and looked at her instead. But there wasn’t anything there. There wasn’t as intense a feeling as when he saw Will.

He felt more confused than ever, actually, if that was even possible.

“Oh, ok” Mike answered, feeling lost in his thoughts.

“I like you. But I think…” El started to explain and then sighed. Mike could notice it was hard for her to put into words what she was trying to say. She hadn’t really broken up with anyone before, except for that one time at the mall, but this wasn’t the same. That was a spur of the moment decision, this was clearly something she was thinking about for a while. She looked into Mike’s eyes and revealed, “I think it’s not the same as before.”

“Yeah, I...I think so too” Mike agreed, surprised she thought the same thing.

El took a breath and blurted out, “I think we should break up.”

“Okay” Mike answered, calmly, feeling a sense of relief that he knew was weird to feel, considering that the normal reaction would be to be upset. Why _wasn’t _he having a normal reaction? Why _ wasn’t_ he upset? 

“You’re not upset?” El puzzled, repeating Mike’s thoughts. Mike knew why, he just didn’t want to say why. He didn’t want to admit that he still thought of Will and the feelings never faded like he thought they did. He didn’t want to admit that he probably felt relief because now, there was a chance for him and Will. These thoughts were selfish and he knew it, but they kept finding their way to the front of his mind.

“Well, we’re still friends, right?” Mike still wanted to make sure. Though he wasn’t in a relationship with El, he still wanted a friendship with her.

“Yeah,” El confirmed.

“Then, it’s fine” Mike smiled, taking her hand briefly before letting it go again.

There were a few moments of awkward silence, and just as Mike was about to say something to lighten the mood, El turned to him.

“You didn’t want to be in a relationship anymore” El realized.

“What?” Mike blurted. El was perceptive, but how would she know that? _He _ didn’t even know that. Well, he did, but not entirely. His brain was a mixed up jumbled mess lately.

“I can tell. You’re not… freaking out like you were before” El explained. Well, yeah, she’s right. But it’s complicated.

“I just... don’t know how I feel” Mike revealed, trying to laugh it off like it was nothing.

“That’s okay. You’ll figure it out. And you can talk to me, y’know. We’re friends” El confirmed. Mike noted the sincerity in her voice. He couldn’t talk to her about his exact problems, that would be too weird. But still, he wanted to make sure that everything could still be okay between them, if he did.... have feelings for Will.

“What would you think if I… started to like someone else?” Mike proposed.

“Do you?” El inquired, curiosity in her voice.

“No! No I just…” Mike trailed off, not even knowing if he was lying or not.

“It would be fine with me.” El shrugged, then smiled, “Don't worry, Mike.”

Feeling relieved at her answer, he let a breath out. Their eyes met and their smiles grew. He knew it was kind of mean to say this, but he felt almost a freeing feeling. Almost. He didn’t exactly tell the truth in that moment, but something in her eyes told him she kind of already knew what was going on. She was smart like that.

“You’re the best, El” Mike complimented, and he really meant it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again thank u all for reading !!!!!!! one more chapter after this :)


	4. 4 months later in Mike's room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> last chapter :)

This time, Will and Eleven were visiting Mike, not the other way around. El was over Max’s house for a sleepover and Will was over his house for a sleepover.

Surprisingly, Mike found it not being as awkward as he was afraid it would be. Sure, he talked a little too much, and had to hold back from complimenting him all the time, but still, being with Will just felt nice. _ Really _ nice. The whole day Mike had been admiring everything he did. Everytime he talked, Mike would smile and think to himself, “Oh. _That’s _why I like him.”

Unknown to Mike, Will felt the same. He felt it stronger though, because he had feelings for Mike much longer. He knew how to conceal it, but that didn’t change the fact that his heart still jumped every time Mike moved closer. He couldn’t help that he wanted to lean his head on his shoulder from time to time, or hold his hand, or just tell him how perfect he was. He didn’t do any of those things, but he sure did consider it.

Sitting on Mike’s bed, them close enough that they easily cuddle, both of them were considering it.

“Everything’s been weird without you. I keep wanting to bike to your house but there's no one there” Mike explained. He thought about moving closer to Will, maybe holding his hand. He decided against the idea.

“Has anyone moved in yet?” Will inquired. He didn’t know if he wanted someone to move in or not. On one hand, there were so many memories associated with that place. But, on the other hand, not all of those memories were good.

“No. I wouldn't want them to” Mike confessed. The truth was that he did still visit the house from time to time. He missed it. He missed seeing Will there, he missed the sleepovers. He might have cried thinking about this, but he’d never tell anyone that. There were so many memories tied to that house, he just wasn't ready to associate it with someone other than Will’s family. He thought about admitting this to Will, though it was embarrassing, and before he could talk himself out of it, the words tumbled out, “Y’know I actually do sometimes bike to your house. I just really miss you, I guess.”  
That had caught Will off guard. Over the past months, he never really let himself believe that Mike cared about him as much as he said he did. Mike barely talked to Will the last time he visited, and the phone calls to just Will were still scarce. But, hearing this, made his heart almost swell. _Mike missed him. _He really did. This was proof. Wow.

“Really?” Will asked, looking at him. They made eye contact before Mike quickly looked away, almost embarrassed.

“Yeah, it’s stupid” he brushed it off. He feared he said too much already, and though he knew Will would never make fun of him, he still worried.

“No it’s not.” Will objected. They held eye contact again. He continued, revealing something to him that he thought he never actually would, “I mean, I’m drawing a picture of you for art class. That’s how much I...miss you.”

“Wait, really?” Mike exclaimed. He always had, secretly wanted Will to draw him. And the fact that he thought of Mike good enough to draw made him elated. He wondered what it looked like, how did Will draw him? He always thought Will was so talented with art. He would create an art gallery just of things Will drew, if he could.

“Yeah,” Will smiled. The assignment he was given was to draw a person from real life. Though he hadn’t seen Mike in a while, he still had pictures. He used them for reference and ended up getting lost in drawing, putting detail in anything and everything. He never thought he’d tell Mike that, but since they were both admitting things, he thought he might as well.

“Will, that’s so awesome!” Mike beamed, heart lighting up.

“Thanks…” Will blushed slightly. He wasn’t going to let his feelings get the best of him, but he didn’t feel he had much control with all of these compliments going his way.  
There was some silence, as both of them were smiling and just revelling in the moment they shared. Then, the same thought crossed their minds at the same time. What if they confessed their feelings? Right now? What if?

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you” Mike apologized, deciding to break the silence first. He knew it was an apology that Will deserved to hear, and he didn’t really care if it made everything awkward.  
And like Mike suspected, with that one sentence, the tone in the room shifted from regular, friendly conversation into something more tense.

“It's fine” Will said, quickly, trying to relieve the tension. He didn’t actually know that Mike noticed that he wasn’t calling him. He just thought that Mike didn’t even care to notice.

“It’s not, I…” Mike trailed off, wondering if he should continue his thought. He almost decided against it until he looked at Will, the person that he regarded as the most amazing, but that he knew he hurt. He was about to open his mouth to confess until Will took his hand and the action flustered him into silence.

“Mike, it’s fine” Will reassured, Realizing how close they were, he pulled back, blushing.

“Wait, come here” Mike blurted out, suddenly feeling confident. He didn’t know what brought this on, all he knew was that he’d been hiding his feelings for too long.

Will didn’t know why but he shuffled closer.

It was like their brains went on autopilot and there was no time for second thoughts.

Mike moved closer and brushed Will’s lips quickly. When he pulled back, they stared at each other. Neither of them said anything for what felt like an eternity, though it must have been only for a few seconds.

Mike was surprised he did that.

Will was surprised too.

“Why?” Will puzzled, timidly. It seemed too good to be true in his eyes.

“I shouldn’t have done that” Mike backtracked, worried that Will was upset.

“No, you should have” Will replied, leaning in closer to Mike.

Without even fully processing what he was doing, he leaned in and their lips touched, again.

They pulled away, feeling overcome with affection.

“Well, I, uh, like you, obviously” Will admitted, his face turning even more red as before.

“Good. This would’ve been kind of awkward if you didn’t.” Mike joked, earning a slight laugh from Will. “I like you too, like a lot” Mike confessed.

Mike pulled him into a small hug, feeling warmth from both the blush on his cheeks and the embrace.

Their hearts were beating fast, but they felt calm in the hug, never wanting to let each other go.

They pulled apart and smiled.

Mike leaned back in, and they kissed again.

There wasn’t any doubt in either of their minds. No upsetting thoughts.

All there was was overwhelming love for each other.

And from then on, they called each other every single day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok thats all folks!!!!  
thank you for reading !!!!!! :)

**Author's Note:**

> ok thanks for reading!!!  
feedback is appreciated


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